In Maya Prasad's cozy, heart-fluttering teen romance Drizzle, Dreams, and Lovestruck Things, she introduces the dynamic, adorable Singh family, a quartet of close-knit teen Desi sisters who help their twice-widowed father run a bed-and-breakfast on Orcas Island, Wash.
Each sister takes a turn in the narrative spotlight in the novel's four seasonal parts. Practical Nidhi thought she had her future and her love life settled, but a dangerous autumn storm and an attractive construction worker might change her mind. Avani still deeply grieves the death of their stepfather, whom Dad married after their mother passed away. She has to slow her racing thoughts if she wants to throw a perfect Winter Ball and make up with the crush she accidentally rejected. Shy Sirisha prefers to watch spring unfold through her camera's viewfinder until she meets a beautiful actress who makes her want to find her voice. Romance novel reader Rani gets caught up in a Bollywood fantasy when three summer guests pursue her. In a connecting throughline, all four sisters combine forces to mend a family rift in time for their father's wedding.
By turns featherlight, deeply emotional and unabashedly romantic, Prasad's debut eloquently communicates that "love is home, love is family, love is community." In a witty yet adorable touch, each sister's story has a literary device that communicates her personality, such as free verse interludes for Avani and hilarious Bollywood script segments as Rani deliberates over her suitors. This four-in-one romance should find a warm welcome with readers hungry for contemporary romances with depth, South Asian American representation and a recognition that love is not one-size-fits-all. --Jaclyn Fulwood, youth experience manager, Dayton Metro Library